I do not own (Please can I just have Neteyam? Pretty please? ;) And I miss Trudy as well...) I do, however, own my own character and everything I make up! This will be separate from my other Avatar story, 'Fortress', which focuses on the Sully family.
Do I believe Miles Quaritch deserves redemption? Definitely not. But what they've done with 'bringing him back' in Avatar form is so interesting, him being the same but not, a whole new character to explore - I've never seen something like that with a character before and it certainly opens up a lot of opportunity, and has inspired me.
This was originally going to be one long story but I want it to cover all of the films, which are long themselves, so I thought I would do one book for each movie - we're going to be here for a long time, but I can't wait! ;)
Here's a full summary:
Eywa is calling - do you hear her?
Phoenix is ecstatic to arrive on Pandora, having been chosen as a civilian test subject for Dr. Augustine's Avatar Program. A reunion with the man she's secretly involved with comes into conflict as she becomes more and more invested in saving the Navi people and world. When the dark secrets of the RDA are revealed she will have to make a choice. It's an easy one, but one that will never leave her.
Quaritch and OC. Will eventually follow all Avatar films.
Thanks and enjoy :)
Before she even landed on Pandora, she knew she loved it too much.
Green, that was what she saw first. Rolling waves of green after green. She wished she could remember a time when Earth was green like this - but then again, nothing was like this.
Stepping out of the ship, breathing mask and all, literally took her breath away. And she let it.
I can't believe I'm actually here!
Dreaming and imagining was no more, she was here for real. And she couldn't wait to get down to work.
She was so lost in her excitement and enchantment that one of the soldiers escorting her group had to bark at her to keep moving. She mumbled an apology and jogged with her small stride to catch up to the others.
Once inside, it felt good to remove the chunky breathing mask, but she instantly longed to be outside again. Inside was like a military base, and she had seen military bases before. But out there, outside, was all new and exciting. It beckoned and called to her, and how could she resist it? How could she possibly ignore the call.
A call just for her.
Phoenix was no soldier nor official scientist. Her father had wanted her to follow in his footsteps and join the military, but partway through the training she could not ignore the pull towards something else, to learning and exploration. She craved knowledge. She didn't regret it though, the military training. It taught her a lot of valuable skills, and she was fit as hell thanks to it.
Up ahead in a gathering hall, everyone from the latest transport arrival listened intently to Colonel Quaritch, Head of Security, give an introduction to their new situation.
"You're not in Kansas anymore. You're on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. Respect that fact every second of every day. If there is a hell, you might want to go there for some R&R after a tour on Pandora. Out there beyond that fence, every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes as Jujubes. We have an indigenous population of humanoids called the Na'vi. They're fond of arrows dipped in a neurotoxin that'll stop your heart in one minute. And they have bones reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber. They are very hard to kill. As Head of Security, it is my job to keep you alive. I will not succeed - not with all of you. If you want to survive, you need to cultivate a strong mental attitude. You've got to obey the rules, Pandora rules..."
His description didn't deter her one bit. "I can't wait to get out there." She spoke to herself, but didn't care if anyone overheard her. In fact, she more than welcomed it.
But first thing's first: check in.
Dropping her stuff in her assigned quarters and receiving a badge for access around base, she made a beeline for the military training facility. That was probably a good place to start.
It was a busy, bustling place. Most people paid her no attention, too busy with what they were doing, training or testing all kinds of different and complicated machinery. She gazed up at robotic-like suits that were at least nine feet tall.
"You wanna drive one?"
She turned to who had called out: a grinning female pilot circling her craft, a pair of aviator sunglasses tucked into the collar of her flight suit.
"Naw, not one of these. An Avatar though."
"Ah, you're one of Dr. Augustine's folks then?"
"Sure am. You wouldn't happen to know where Colonel Quaritch is at the moment, would you?"
"I do in fact, you're in the right place. This way." The woman flashed her a smile and gestured for her to follow. "I'm Trudy." She extended her hand while they walked.
They shook hands. "Phoenix, or Nix. Nice to meet you, Trudy."
"Likewise. So are you a scientist on the program then?"
"Civilian test subject."
"Damn. Excited to get out there?"
"Can't come soon enough!"
"Well we'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other - I'm often shuttling the Avatar's out to their site."
"Looking forward to it."
"Me too, I'll watch for you." Trudy stopped and pointed towards the back of the vast space where the training facility was. "There's the man you're looking for - see you out there, Nix."
"Thanks Trudy, see you." They fist-bumped before Trudy headed back to her work and Nix turned to the man bench-pressing heavy weights - because of course he was.
She stood and watched for a moment before calling, "Excuse me, I'm looking for the man in charge. You seen him anywhere?"
"Depends on who's asking." One last press and the weight, in what seemed like an effortless move, was placed back onto its bar, and he sat up, drenched in sweat but not breathing all that hard. "But in your case, you're in luck." He smirked. "Welcome to Pandora, Sweetheart."
"One a hell of an introduction."
"Did my safety speech freak you out?"
"On the contrary - I'm more excited than ever." She was beaming again.
"Well please tell me some of that excitement is for me-" He stood and approached her, arms outstretched.
She jumped back. "Oh no way! I'm not touching that!" She gestured to his sweat-stained shirt and body. "Shower first, then come find me. You stink. Besides, I've got to meet the Doc." She gave a cheeky salute before heading out of military territory and to the labs.
We redheads have got to stick together, was her first thought upon laying eyes on Dr. Augustine in real life. She strode right up to the Doc with no hesitation. "Dr. Augustine, it's a pleasure to be here." She extended her hand and beamed.
The Doc looked down at her. "Who the hell are you?"
Okay, not exactly how she'd envisioned their first interaction going, but she was flexible. They could work with this. "Phoenix Vallencourt, your civilian specialist."
"Oh, so you're my civilian huh?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Well this day just keeps getting better and better," Dr. Augustine said dryly. "How's your Na'vi?"
Phoenix's smile stretched even further - if that were even possible. "Good - uh, it is a pleasure to meet you, I am honoured to be here."
Dr. Augustine cracked a smile at the young woman's English-accented Na'vi and responded. "Good indeed. Well, welcome aboard, kid." She headed over to one of the many lab desks. "Huh, the civilian is more prepared than the soldier. It's just one surprise after the next." This last comment seemed to be directed at a young man in a wheelchair.
"She's under a lot of pressure," a man in a lab coat said. "Don't take it personally." The guy in the wheelchair just shrugged and turned to Nix. "Jake Sully. Marines."
She shook his hand. "Phoenix. Civilians."
"Norm, science," the taller, bearded man added, also coming in for a handshake.
"Max, also science." The man in the lab coat introduced himself too. "Looks like you three will be our newest Avatar Drivers. Come on over and have a look."
He waved and led them over to where their Avatars were currently incubating, preparing for when they would link.
"Oh hello gorgeous!" Again, her breath was taken away by the tall blue body that she would soon - very soon in fact - inhabit. The resemblance between their avatar and human bodies may have been spooky to some, but it just revved up that excitement already coursing through her in spades.
Afterwards, Max set her up to make video logs of her progress.
She smiled and waved for the camera, beginning the first log of many more to come. "Hello. I am Phoenix Vallencourt. I am here, freshly arrived on Pandora and I am truly so honoured to have been chosen as civilian test subject for Dr. Grace Augustine's Avatar Program. I fall into the twenty-to-thirty age bracket, am just five feet tall, and I speak five languages, including - thanks to this program - Na'vi. I think that's all for now... Let's get out there and get to work!"
Hello and welcome, hope you enjoyed this first chapter! :) Thank you so much for reading!